Centrifugal casting machine



G. A. RUBISSOW CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE May 19, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1947 IN V EN TOR.

May 19, 1953 e. A. RUBISSOW 2,638,646

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed April 21, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

y 1953 G. A. RUBISYSOW 2,638,646

CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINE Filed April 21, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED es-PATENT OFFICE This invention is acontinuation in part of the following applications for LettersPatent 'Ser. No. 547,307; filed on" July29, 1944,1fr Centrifugal Casting Machine and Devices Therefor;

Ser. No. 535,475, filed on May 13, 1944, for Molds .for Centrifugal Casting and Methods Therefor,

with parts broken out of one embodiment of this invention, shown in simplified semi-schematical manner.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. v Fig. 3'is a side view of Fig. 1 with some'parts broken out. w V Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional schematical view along axis Z Z oi Fig. 2 with parts broken out, of a gate mold interconnecting means, gate andmold: Fig. 5' is a side view of a portion of Fig. '2 Fig. 6 is a plan View of a portion'of Fig. 2. Fig. '7 is a 'schematical cross-sectional" side view with partsbroken out of another embodiment of gate mold interconnecting means. v

Fig. Sis a schematical plan view of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a schematical plan view partly in'cross section of another embodiment. j Fig. 10 is a simplified semi schemati calsid view in cross section'of another'embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a plan view- 0f Fig. 10' when top guard'filAis removed. One aspect of this invention is shown in Figs. 1, 2'and 3, wherein the mold receiver: .I I carry} ing a mold M is rotated around'a*verticalfaxis XX, and whereinthe molten material used for castings, and to be poured'int'o this mold may be poured into it while the'mold is in r0 tation, and wherein means are provided'to 'evac uate any excess ofthe overp'oured molten mate rial, so that'no excess material will remain either in the central pouring gate nor in the gatesihterconnecting it with the'mold' gate, and wherein such excess Imolten material' willbe evacuated- Claims. (01. 22-65) into the open or int'oa storage chamber pro vided therefor.

According to this invention a mold receiver l I, is mounted, rigidly on a collar support 12, provided with a pulley I3 I (or with a bevel gear and the like). Said mold receiver II is mounted rotatably through the intermediary of bear ings. H, and I5; on a non-rotatable shaft- 10, mounted rigidly on a support l6, mounted on the ground 1 ISA; preferably with the assistance "of a' reinforcement plate 11, or the like means.

Although the illustrated herein machine for centrifugal castings shows a non-rotatable shaft, on which is rotatably" mounted a mold receiver; it is obvious that a rotating shaft which is rigid with a mold receiver I, may be used, and in this latter case, bearing means should be provided in a bearing support,"ri gidly mounted in respect to the ground, in order' to permit the rotation of the shaft togethe'rwithfthe' mold receiver.

When a non-rotatable shaft as shown in Figs. 1', 2 and 3 is used, then the mold receiver 1 I, is rotated itself by a belt, chain or gear drive or otherwise.

The niold receiver II, is provided with'one or more molds or is provided with mold casings in which molds are placed. The use of casings for molds is recommended, when molds are not strong enough. v

In order to keep the'mold in a tight position in the mold receiver, insertion members 18, or key members I8A and [8B, may be provided. The mold receiver has a gate casing support and guide member 21'; which may be of any form, for instance, have a circular or square form, or'may consist only of few bars or guides rigid with the mold receiver.

-The rotating pouring gate RG, is mounted so that it can slide to-and-fro in respect to the axis of. rotation .X-X, while being guided in guide means 29,- provided on or in the member 27. The rotating gate- RG may comprise a gate'casing 22 inwhich a gate 2| is flaring downwardly from the gate entrance. l9, towards the bottom part 40, whereitwo exitorifices 20, '20 are provided. The rotating gate RG may' take any predeter minedposition on the guide means 29, and'may be (before and/or during the rotation of the machine) so maintained thereon by mechanical means orby hydraulicalor pneumatical means, such as for instance, by means of a piston 32, mounted in a cylinder 35, provided in a shaft I0; and controlled by means of a pump 31 (not shown), which pump is interconnected with the cylinder through'con'dui'ts 36. The top part of the piston 32, may contact the bottom part of the gate casing of the rotating gate RG directly or through a collar 34, rigid with the bottom 30 of the gate casing, in which collar 34 is mounted a member 33 provided on the top of the piston 32.

The rotating gate RG is rotating together with the mold receiver H, and forms one rigid body therewith after it is adjusted to, any dfig l'ed predetermined position,. or even during its notation. The rotating gate R'LG" is so positioned, that its exit orifice 28, substantially registers the en;

trance of the main gate of the mold M, or molds- Ml, M2, etc. (not shown), if morermelds'areipma vided. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is shown a machine having two molds and having thustwo exit ori=-- fices, provided in the rotatingxgate RG4, and it is obvious that when three molds are used, three exit orifices should be provided in thearotating gate RG. The rotating-: gate RG may be made from one, solid pieceor may. comprisaacasing: 22:, in which a refractory 23 or other materialsis pro.- vided.

A mainentrance orifice I9; is. provided-on the ton-of the; pouring gateRG, and atleastoneexit orifice 2,0; is. provided onornear itS-.blli3Qm.L4D-; The-outer part ofsuch exit orifice-20. isinterconnected by a suitableexit channel zliitwhich channel may 01? any formror; shap flarin or t per: ing), with gate mold interconnecting; means; R1; interconnecting the rotating; gate RG; with. the mold M- through the channel 24. The; bottom. of the rotating gate may: be so; shaped that the diameter D2 is smaller-thannl. such an'arranger ment will. force molten. material, to-the orifices 2.0; 20 and thus no material could remain in: the rotating gate after the casting periormed. It is not recommended that Di is; equal. to D15, and DJ should-be at least slightlyt. even very; slightly greater than; D2-. The rotating; gate-RG1; may be provided; on, its sides, withone or: more collars-25 which may slide to-andefro along the: guides; 29;. The guides 29 may-have flanges 3.8.prQvided-on the edges of a cut out 39, for a better control of the movements ofthe rotating gatewRG; therein.

Theexit, orifice;2:0-of the: rotatingrgateRG-may contact directlythe, mold M. smthat the; exiliorie fice 20 and the entrance gate G of the mold will form one continued channel, this 151101 shown, being; self evident.

The; exit orifice, zirmay. also; according: to this invention contactthe mold; gatezG through. a gate mold interconnecting means; such 315,.Rilfg. R2, R33 as showni-n Figs. 1. 2 and 3. andin other-figures. This mean RI may. be made of any suitable: solid", including metal, metal alloys-,whenevenit may be used; orfrom, refractories including such as asbestos, roekwooLpowdered mica, etc., or any combination ofthem, according to.-.requirement. The gate mold: interconnecting: means may according to this. invention, be provided with a channel 4;|-'42'4:3r Figs. 4 and: 51. When using a. tapering channel, theflow. of: the molten. material therein, will be under: compression, due to the: diminishing of: its cross-section. In Figs. 4 and Si is shownsucha tapering channel wherein; the entrance diameter 41 is larger than: the exit diameter 42.

According to thisinvention; a special overflow exit passage 53tas-shown in. Figs. 4vand-i5, is pro? vided in such. a, manner that-it: dischargesinto; a channel 24 or 4'l -4Z,- -43. 'Ilhis,- overflow exit passage 53 may havealso-a-fornr asshownzby" n Riga- J and 8, a di tmey i cha ge I Qi he permit the use of machines having a rotating pouring gate independent of the mold. In such l fichl nesieno molten material will remain after the pouring will be stopped and this notwithstanding thefactthat the molten material was introduced -into,.the,.mo lds-.through the rotating pouring gate, while both the rotating pouring gate and molds were rotated, and this notwithstanding the fact, that any overflow of the mold which may have happened... will; not; encumb r the rota ing: po ing -gatezwith excessofithezmolten:material caused b z-- overfiowing, and;, this; due, to the; overflow exit assage; 53 throu h which; amt such. excess-overflowzof; the: mol en: material will be; e acua d:

It. is. obvious. that, when; therotati-ng gate RG Figs, 4: and fis istrotated'; inthe direction of the arrow-"A, the molten material; when. leaving the onifice'2.6 ;.-of-; the; rotating ate: RG, will try to take a tangential direction; Should therefore anoverflow occur, i e: the gate inthemoldM, Figs. 4e and; 6, will; be; filled; with; the; molten. material until the. level, #1,, and. the. molten.- material will rise still higher,-. then. the molten material having no further place; and, room to go in. the-mold M oriinthe gate: G, will obligatorily. beforced to, escape throughthepassfige 5.3; According to this invention, it is advisable to; provide the overnowexit 53, 11 the same. direction as the direction of, rotation, and; this speaking; in terms of vector, i. e.,.-a tangent. taken at the. point where the. overflQweXit-passage. 5.3 is passing. in: regard to. the rotationaroundzaxis X1-X.. As shownin Figs. 2 4, 6 and 8, the overflow exit passage 53 is provided substantially lathe plane of rotation, i.,e., inthe plane perpendicular tothe axis X-X of rotation, and at the same time, in; thevdirection of rotationi. e .,,in.thedirection of thevector-tangent.

It, is. advisable. thatthe; channel 44, 42-, 4 3 and 24, are so designed that no molten. material will enter into the-overflow exit, passage 53,,unless an overflow occurs. Some of; such; particular embodiments, butnotlimiting this invention thereto, areshowm herein, in;:Figs,. 4-, and 5, wherein the diameter oftthe, channel, 234 is slightly tapering from M to. 42,; and. thereafter, the diameter: is making a. sudden enlargement, tor its original diameter 4|, at which placeof suchenlargement, e v f ow. exitpa sa istak ing; its; beginning. The latter. diameter-Al, may thereafter again increase in its cross-sectiomfrom. M to 43, orto the cross-section of the mold-gate G. The, wall 54.. at, the height of;- the overflow exit passage will receive. a, pressure, of the molten. material; in the. direction of ltherotation, and. at the same time there; will be no .pressure and. no. movement of the. molten.- material in; the passage.- 53, unless anoverfloyyrhasoccurred, The-overflow exit passage. 53 may: be; tapering. oriflaring accordingto results desired, to; be obtained. The flaring passageshfiwnin Figs-.4, 5-,,7;and;8 ,.isadvantageous. As: it is: shown; it; starts. with. the; relatively: narrow. cross-section; flaring to: 4.9,.and: if: provided about. the middle or: the bodywof: the gate mold interconnecting means R3 ('Figs'. '7 and 8). In

Figs. 4, and 6, the passage 53 is provided in that part of the means RI and'RZ, which touch the mold M. When using means R3,"it is necessary that the molten material substantially reaches the plane 46 in order that the'evacuation' of the excess overflow material is started through the passages 48 and 49.

The gate mold interconnecting means RI, R2, R3, may be used for single rotation of the mold as herein described, as well also for molds which are rotated simultaneously around two axes of rotation, in which latter event, it is not necessary that the gate mold interconnecting means do contact tightly the rotating pouring gate. Such arrangements for molds rotatable simultaneously about two axes of rotation (double rotation),

molten material will flow out into the open, i. 6.

outside of the rotating machine, or the molten material could be discharged through a passage 53A (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) into a safety chamber CH, provided accordingly either in the mold itself (i. e. in that part of it which may be used for this purpose) or it may be evacuated outside of the mold into a safety chamber CH provided between the mold and the mold receiver I I.

The molten material flowing through the mold gate'G is distributed through various distributing gates GI, etc., and will fill the mold'cavities S, S, either from the back of it, in regard to the axis of rotation X X, or otherwise. The backward feeding in respect to the direction of the cen-- trifugal force in combination with a sudden flaring distributing gate system will diminish the pouring shock between the pouring in molten material and the mold.

The gate mold interconnecting means RI, R2, R3, may be prefabricated as standards for the respective rotating pouring gates, and their exit channels 25, and they may be provided with recesses and flanges of any type and form, so that they may be placed without error in the right position particularly in respect to the overflow exit passage 53.

This invention is not limited to the use of the gate mold interconnecting means madein a form of a separate unit, i. e. separate from mold such as units RI, R2, R3, and it is obvious that this invention also comprises gate mold interconnecting means, which are an integral part of the mold, i. e. are provided in the mold itself. The functioning of such latter means is exactly the same as if they have been a unit separate from the mold, such as RI, R2 or R3.

When the overflow occurs the molten material will either pass into the overflow chamber CH where signal means could be placed to detect the overflow, such signal means for instance, may be a window 62 Fig. 2, made in the wall of the cham'- ber CH and in the wall of the mold casing or in the mold receiver II, so that detection may be made by sight when glare of molten material will appear from the overflow. Detection could also be made by sound because the overflow makes a specific audible sound, generally easily detectible during the pouring of the mold during rotation. When the overflow is made into the open, through the overflow passage 53-533, Fig. 3, then, the detection may be made by sound or by sight or by means of aphoto-electric cell.

It is natural that a centrifugal casting machine is generally provided with a guard 3| preferably surrounding the machine either from all sides and/or from the top or at least, from the side or a part of aside where men are working. Such guards 6I may be provided in any suitable place around the machine and may have in a desirable place a peep window 62 for sight-detection or have a photo-electric cell 60 for the detection of sound and/or of glare of the overflow. The windows may be provided with shock and heat resistance glass, quartz or mica plates for safety purposes. I

Still another aspect of this invention is shown schematically in Fig. 9, wherein the mold receiver I I may be cylindrical or in any other-form, and may have at least one mold casing I IA mounted therein in which the mold or molds are placed. The rotating pouring gate RG is shown immersing into the gate-mold-interconnectingmeans, which in this arrangement is not a separate insertion member but is a part of the mold M, Fig. 9, which part is thus substituting for the gate-mold-interconnecting means. When the pouring of the molten material, such as for instance, molten steel, molten metals, molten metal alloys, molten glass, molten plastics, etc., is started, it first enters into the orifice I9 and thereafter it is distributed through the exit channels 29 and 24 into the gate mold G. The pouring is continued until the mold is filled and until the level of the molten material in the gate G has reached the curved level formed for instance by the radius D3. As soon as the cavities and the gate mold are filled, the molten material reaches the level D33, and if thereafter, the pouring is still continued, by mistake or for other purposes,.the excess material will be forcedly carried away through the safety channel II5 placed inside of the mold M or outside of it.

An exit hole II'I may be provided in the mold casing I IA as'an outlet for the channel I I5, thus the molten material may be dischargedinto the open or into a storage chamber CH, which may be provided for this purpose in the vicinity of the mold or be attached to the mold or be a part of the mold.

The channel II5 may be inclined at any suitable angle, may be directed in any suitable plane and in any suitable direction in regard to the radius D3. It is essential that the beginning part of the overflow exit channel or passage will be so designed that its entering orifice is placed between that part of the gate mold G, where the predetermined level D3 starts, and above this level in the direction towards the axis of rotation X-X.

The channel I I9 is provided in the mold M in a similar way as the channel II5, except that, a part of it passes through the bottom of the mold, and that it changes its direction from a direction in a substantially tangential plane to the radius, of rotation in the beginning of the passage, to a substantially radial direction, in its main or middle part, and that it discharges into the open so that the material flowing through it will discharge into the storage chamber or into.

the space provided in t'hemold receiver, or available outside of the mold for such a purpose. I2I is the exit part of the channel which leads to the storage chamber CH, substituted in Fig. 9, by the free space in the mold, mold receiver I I. This embodiment also enables to make a choice of the radius D3 so that, it will become a, con- 7 trolling factor for permissible or desirable positionof the level D33 for-"the gate G of a mold M.

When the storage chamber is provided inside of the mold receiver II such as chamber OH in Fig. 2, the peep window 52 for sight detection should be provided in the wall of the mold recciver and also in the wall of the chamber as it is shown. If the guard 6| is used, then another peep window 62 or a photo-electric cell 60, or both, may be provided in the guard as shown in Fig. 2, and thus the glare and/or the noise or sound, from'the overflowing molten material will be detected through the windows 62 and 52 of the casing or of the mold receiver, or they will be detected by the photo-electric cell GI! when the same is registering respectively the window 62.

When a double rotation is used as shown schematically in Figs. and 11, wherethe mold M is rotated simultaneously around two axes of rotation, axis X -X and axis Y Y, and when the molten material is passing from the crucible, first through the main pouring gate I 9 and thereafter through the exit orifice 2-!) and thereafter through the channel 24 into the gates G3 and Gd. From thereon it passes into the cavities S3, S4, etc. of the mold. When the molten material has reached the level D5, D4, then having no other place to go, the molten material will forcibly flow into the overflow exit passage 53A, and it will be discharged through this passage 535 (which passes through the mold casing) into the open. It is obvious that with this machine, where the mold is rotated simultaneously around two axes of rotation X-X and YY, the material will flow through the exit and 53B of the overflow exit passage 53A, and will thereafter fly out into the open around the mold casing HA. For this reason, a guard 6! and (BIA, should be provided all around the machine so that the molten material emerging-from the passage 53A through end 5313 will be temporarily stored inside of such a guard SI and GIA. Apcep window 62 and/or a photo-eleectriccell IE'B as shown in Figs. 1-0 and 11, may be used to detect by sight and/or by sound the overflow of the molten material. The guard in this embodiment is sub-- stituting for the storage chamber.

The doubie rotating machine shown in Figs. I2 and I I comprises the following compoents as one of the possible embodiments. There is a nonrotating gear I25 in mesh with rotating gears I23, mounted rotatably on thrust and radial load bearings, coaxial with axis YY and which bearings together with the rotating gears I23 are mounted around a support member through which the gate 24 is passing. The mold casing I IA maybe attached either by means of bayonet locking arrangement to a mold holding disc IE4, or by means of a screwing arrangement, as does disc IZlA. The discs I24 and I24A are. coaxial with axis YY and are rigidly mounted on thegears I23.

When the rotating or driving shaft RS'is rotated, the mold casings I IA with the mold M are automatically rotated simultaneously around two axes of rotation X-X and Y-Y. If it is desirous that the mold casing IIA should be heated prior to or during the rotation then this may be achieved electrically by means of a collar with circular contact guides I3iJI3I, mounted on the discs IZBA and interconnected by means of friction contacts such as pusher contacts I32I33, and through other wires to the wires Nil-I35 through which the electric current will be transmitted through the rotating pouring gate to the rotating mold casing into the heating element I26 provided therein. These wires may go through a collar guide contact I34 and thereafter through another friction contact and finally to the ouside through the guard 6| where a current could be supplied from any source and for any purpose, through the wires I3'tl35. A heat resistance casing I26 may be provided in the mold, and may be heated through the wires I3'I--I38.. If desired a high-frequency heating coil may be mounted in or around the casing I25.

Another embodiment is shown where the gate I21 is extending substantially up to the bottom of the mold casing A (on the right side of the drawings in Figs. 10 and 11), and this ate may be used in particular, for centrifugal separation of metal alloys or other molten materials or chemical fluids, which are composed of at least two different substances of a diilerent specific weight mixed together but not combined chemically, the heavier substance will occupy the farthest away space from the axes X-X and Y-Y. The light weight substance will try to come closer to these axes of rotation, in the direction of the resultant vectors of both centrifugal forces, in regard to XX. and Y-Y, for instance occupy the space between the levels I28 and I29. This arrangement therefore will permit two continuously pouring in of the molten or liquid material into the rotating container IIA, while the lighter substance composing this material will be continuously evacuated as soon as it reaches the level I29 through the overflow exit passage 53C, thus accomplishing a perfect and a quicker separation by double centrifugal force. If desired, the same principle of separation may be achieved in a single rotation arragement, i. e. in the case of the above drawings of Fig. 10, the rotation will be made only around the axis XX and not around Y--Y, or only around Y-Y but not around X-X, or other machines such as shown in other figures may be used.

The reading of the U. S. Patents 2,222,266; 2,208,230, and 2,325,019, is recommended, as they may be used in conjunction with this invention.

What I claim is:

l. A known centrifugal casting machine having at least one mold rotatable around at least one axis of rotation, but not more than two axes of rotation, at least the first of said axes being excentric to said mold, and having a frame with a central pouring gate rotatable about said first axis of rotation, said gate being provided on its top with an entrance orifice for the pouring in of molten material, and provided on its bottom with a distributing channel to feed said molten material therethrough from said gate to said mold, a free empty space provided between said channel and said mold, said known machine in combination with: a substantially large safety overflow passage provided in said free empty space in the direction coinciding with the direction of rotation around said first axis of rotation, the entrance orifice of said passage being substantially large in cross section and adjacent to that part of said mold which is closest to said first axis of rotation, rigidmeans to maintain said passage in a rigid position in respect to said mold and said channel whereby when an excess of molten material is overflowing said mold, such excess is evacuated throughout said passage.

2'. A known centrifugal casting machine having at least one mold rotatable around at least one axis of rotation, but not more than two axes of rotation, at least the first of said axes being excentric to said mold, and having a frame with a central pouring gate rotatable about said first axis of rotation, said gate being provided on its topwith an entrance orifice for the pouring in of molten material, and provided on its bottom with a distributing channel to feed said molten material therethrough from said gate to said mold, a free empty space provided between said channel and said mold, said known machine in combination with: a substantially large safety overflow passage provided in said free empty space in the direction coinciding with the direction of rotation around said first axis of rotation, the entrance orifice of said passage being substantially large in cross section and adjacent to that part of said mold which is closest to said first axis of rotation, rigid means to maintain said passage in a rigid position in respect to said mold and said channel said passage being in communication with a storage chamber provided therefor in said mold, whereby when an excess of molten mate rial is overflowing said mold, such excess is evacuated throughout said passage into said storage chamber.

3. A known centrifugal casting machine having at least one mold rotatable around at least one axis of rotation, but not more than two axes of rotation, at least the first of said axes being excentric to said mold, and having a frame with a central pouring gate rotatable about said first axis of rotation, said gate being provided on its top with an entrance orifice for the pouring in of molten material, and provided on its bottom with a distributing channel to feed said molten material therethrough from said gate to said mold, a free empty space provided between said channel and said mold, said known machine in combination with: a substantially large safety overflow passage provided in said free empty space in the direction coinciding with the direction of rotation around said first axis of rotation, the entrance orifice of said passage being substantially large in cross section and adjacent to that part of said mold which is closest to said first axis of rotation, rigid means to maintain said passage in a rigid position in respect to said mold and said channel, signal making means for detecting of the start of an overflow of molten material in said passag and for automatically signaling thereafter said detecting, whereby when an excess of molten material is overflowing said mold, such excess is evacuated throughout said passage and said signal making means automatically signal the start of said overflow.

4. A known centrifugal casting machine having at least one mold rotatable around at least one axis of rotation, but not more than two axes of rotation, at least the first of said axes being excentric to said mold and having a frame with a central pouring gate rotatable about said first axis of rotation, said gate being provided on its top with an entrance orifice for the pouring in of molten material, and provided on its bottom with a distribution channel to feed said molten material therethrough from said gate to said mold, a free empty space provided between said channel and said mold, said known machine in combination with: a substantially large safety overflow passage provided in said free empty space in the direction coinciding with the direction of rotation around said first axis of rotation, the entrance orifice of said passage being substantially large in cross section and adjacent to that part of said mold which is closest to said first axis of rotation, rigid means to maintain said passage in a rigid position in respect to said mold and said channel, said means having a form of a flat insert interposed inbetween said channel and said mold, said passage being cut out in said insert whereby when an excess of molten material is overflowing said mold, such excess is evacuated throughout said passage.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said insert is made from asbestos.

GEORGE A. RUBISSOW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,015,819 McManus Jan. 30, 1912 1,479,629 Sicard Jan. 1, 1924 2,192,043 Hooper Feb. 27, 1940 2,208,368 Hauck July 16, 1940 2,225,373 Goss Dec. 17, 1940 2,233,277 Aderer Feb. 25, 1941 2,359,524 Lane Oct. 3, 1944 

